This Woman Is Sharing Extremely Vulnerable Photos to Document Her Journey With Breast Cancer

When life throws you a curveball and you find yourself fighting a tough battle, it’s immensely helpful to be able to look to someone else who’s gone through something similar. Breast cancer survivor Kim Angell has made herself that source of hope for other women by candidly documenting her journey with the disease on Instagram.

Angell was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after turning 34. She quickly underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation; later, she opted for a double mastectomy. Now, two years later, Angell can officially say she won her battle—she’s cancer-free.

On her blog, Angell explains that when she was going through treatment, the resources available in her local community were designed for older women. But cancer doesn’t discriminate. She was in her mid-30s, and she couldn’t find enough information specifically for young women battling the disease.

Angell had lots of questions: She wanted to know whether she would be able to have children, what would happen to her body when she went through early menopause (a common side effect of cancer treatment), and how she was supposed to navigate her new normal when everyone around her was in the prime of their lives, she tells Health.

“So, I started my blog, Smile Through the Fog, and shared my story through social media in the hopes of reaching other young women affected by this disease and letting them know they were not alone,” she says.

Since then, Angell has document every aspect of her battle with cancer, from her first round of chemo to her first day back to work.

On August 4, she shared this side-by-side shot of her head: the first image is from two years ago, when she shaved it after her second round of chemo. The second shows her after getting a trendy haircut. “I couldn’t bear to watch it fall out and wanted to take back control and cut it off before cancer had the chance to take it from me,” Angell wrote about the first photo.

Jump to the second, where she has a fierce burgundy ’do, and you see a women who’s learned to appreciate life in a whole new way. “The gratitude I feel each time I am able to go in for something once as simple as a haircut,” she wrote.

Angell’s page shows her most joyous moments and her most challenging; when she’s on cloud nine and when she’s at her most vulnerable. Through everything she shares, she’s helping other women who are facing their own battles, but she’s also helping herself.

“Being able to write openly about my battle with breast cancer and share my vulnerabilities has been one of the most healing parts of my recovery,” Angell says. She explained it’s helped her accept her journey for what it is, and above all else, it’s connected her with a community of women who understand and support her.

To all others fighting breast cancer, Angell has a message for you: “Be your own biggest advocate. Listen to your body and stand up for your health. And be kind to yourself throughout the process. You are strong, you are beautiful and you are enough.”

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